1996-11-04 - Our National Foundations

On May 19, 1643 the United Colonies of New England was formed. It was a first crack at governing the people that were in the colonies. Here are some of what they said in their founding document:

"The said united colonies, for themselves and their posterity, did, jointly and severally, enter into a firm and perpetual league of friendship and amity, of offence and defence, mutual aid and succour, upon all just occasions, both for preserving and propagation the truth and liberty of the gospel, and for their own mutual safety and welfare."

"Each colony was authorised to send two commissioners annually, always to be church members, to meet on the first Monday in September, first at Boston, then at Hartford, New Haven, and Plymouth."

"The commissioners, when met, were authorised to choose a president from among themselves, for the preservation of order. They were vested with plenary powers for making war and peace, laws and rules of a civil nature and of general concern. Especially, to regulate the conduct of the inhabitants towards the Indians, towards fugitives, for the general defence of the country, and for the encouragement and support of religion."

The common theme here is that government was to support truth and religion. It was not religious liberty that they were to support, but rather truth. That truth would have been the Christian religion, and for that matter the Puritan practice of the Christian faith. The first government was in place to assure that the truth of the Christian faith was not compromised. We have moved far from this and now we maintain a separation of Church and State. Those who came to this land first did so to set up a Christian nation. John Winthrop declared that the colonies would be "a city upon a hill" and would show the truth of the Christian religion by its practice and character. It did not work but that was the original intention. They would be an example for all the other nations and the hope was that the nations would in turn follow their lead.

Well, that is my history lesson for today. However, we must apply this. In a sense we are all cities upon a hill. We are all examples to those we come in contact with of the Christian cause. We either represent our cause well or poorly, and sometimes it depends on the day. Many of you will vote in the next 24-36 hours. In doing this we represent ourselves as Christians. I do not know if either Dole or Clinton are Christians. I know that Dole said he prayed with his family before one of the Presidential debates. I do know this, that when you stand in the voting booth, you stand before God.

Soli Deo Gloria,
T-

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2016-11-08